Use Of Setting In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

John Steinbeck, author of the iconic Of Mice and Men, tells the story of George Milton and Lennie Small, two displaced migrant ranch workers, who move from place to place in search of new job opportunities during the Great Depression in California, United States. A few miles away from that ranch in Soledad is a river surrounded by lush nature. Because this meadow is so close to the ranch, humans act like invasive species ruining the area in which they don’t belong. Steinbeck establishes the setting through the use of contrasting imagery, similes, and repetition in order to reveal how humans destroy nature’s serenity. In the novel Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck uses contrasting imagery in order to establish the setting. By doing this he reveals how human disrupt nature’s original state. In the beginning of the passage, Steinbeck describes the rabbits to “come out of the brush and sit on the sand in the evening”. This models how animals in nature normally act. However, when “two men come marching in”, the rabbits “hurried noiselessly for cover”. This illustrates how when people come the rabbits no longer behave the same, therefore the natural state of nature

By doing this, he reveals humans interference with nature’s serenity. Steinbeck uses the repetition of the word “beaten” in order to express the magnitude of destruction to the “willows”. This destruction is brought on by humans, which reinforces the idea that humans disrupt the tranquil state of nature. Another example of repetition is seen with the words “willow” and “sycamore” to give the reader a more detailed image of the setting. By having this greatly detailed image the reader can form more emotions toward the setting. Therefore. they are more affected when nature is compromised, and more vulnerable to understand that humans are the cause of the destruction. Human activity, in the end, leads to disturbance to nature’s